Travel chaos in Germany: Lufthansa strike grounds 800 flights
A coordinated strike by Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew forced the cancellation of nearly 800 flights across Germany on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported.
450 of 1,117 scheduled flights were canceled at Frankfurt, Germany's largest aviation hub. Munich Airport saw 275 of 920 planned flights scrapped. The 24-hour strike impacted around 100,000 passengers.
The pilot union VC, which represents approximately 4,800 employees, is demanding higher employer contributions to occupational pensions. Members sanctioned the strike in a ballot last fall. Lufthansa management has dismissed the demands, citing high costs and falling profits.
In a separate dispute, the Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation (UFO) cabin crew union staged a "warning strike" to force negotiations on collective agreements at Lufthansa's main operation and its regional subsidiary, Cityline. Union leaders argue the company's current corporate strategy threatens about 800 jobs.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Guangzhou-Bishkek direct flights are to launch in March.